Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation

This is a discussion on Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation within Street Experiences, part of the Buckle Up category; Slightly , but just wondering.
Anyone heard about about a nasty super bike crash on HAL road between Logica Signal ...

....telling the rest of the world that I want to get on the road.....not one person will stop for a second.....people coming towards you from a distance will start speeding up....

Thats the summary of every signal or U turn or junction in Bangalore. I have experienced it whenever I am out on the road. You keep a turn indicator, everyone behind you become your enemies, they will honk till you pass. You want to enter the opposite lane, none will give any space, causing more honking behind you ! Now, add "people coming towards you speeding up" with "speeding up on the wrong side towards you", that completes the circle of vice here.

After all my moving around within the city, there is only one way to solve the issues within a week, yes "within a week". Start fining violators high amount as in UAE or any other gulf countries. In Oman, jumping a red signal is 24 hours in the Jail and fine. Crossing a white line or waiting on the zebra cross etc has higher fines. Once you pay, you will think 10 times before doing it again. There is no other alternative options for India. Banning vehicles that are 10 years or more will bring down a lot of traffic and pollution, I think Delhi is going to do that soon.

Hope this agreement is signed soon and the overbridge/flyover is completed soon. Currently, only the main bridge and the approach ramp on one end is complete. The other side does not have an approach ramp due to lack of space and road being narrow. This approach ramp needs land from the MEG campus.

Quote:

An MoU to swap lands will be signed shortly between the state government and the Defence Ministry paving the way for the completion of the long-pending Railway Over Bridge (ROB) at Baiyappanahalli.
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... whenever I am out on the road. You keep a turn indicator, everyone behind you become your enemies, they will honk till you pass. You want to enter the opposite lane, none will give any space, causing more honking behind you ! Now, add "people coming towards you speeding up" with "speeding up on the wrong side towards you", that completes the circle of vice here.

It's a war-zone, if you don't know it already. You don't share your intentions with your enemy - so indicators are a strict no. And brake lights? Again falls in the same category, you should always spring a surprise (attack). While driving at night, imagine your headlights are guns - do you fire your gun pointed at the ground, or at your enemy? You got it right - always pointed at your enemy, so high beam it is. You know, military planes carry chaff and flares to confuse incoming missiles, similarly, there should always be flickering disco lights even if you don't have working headlights - they will confuse your enemies on the roads. It's also a wonderful idea to go back to the era of Spartans - trumpets. Blow them as long as you can and as hard as you can.

It is extremely disheartening to see that Two-Wheeler riding on the footpath has now become a norm rather than an exception. While waiting at the signal near Marathahalli (on my bike), in the space of a minute or 90 seconds, I counted 20 two-wheelers come from behind via the gap between the foot path and the vehicles, reach the point where I am (which meant cannot go ahead anymore) then climb on to the footpath next to me and proceed ahead. This is a daily occurrence now.

The sad thing is that, no bias at all. Big bikes, small bikes, IT Guys, ladies, delivery boys-All included. Makes me wonder if some of them even know that it is illegal to ride on the footpath. Most of them do it as if it is the most normal thing to do. :(

Makes me wonder if some of them even know that it is illegal to ride on the footpath. Most of them do it as if it is the most normal thing to do. :(

I had a friend's father collapse on the footpath due to shock and this was in 2004-05.

Reason: On Jayamahal road where he was walking on one of the mornings on the footpath, he suddenly heard a biker honk at him from behind to which he completely got shocked and fell down right there not knowing what had happened and what to do.

And yes, this is a real incident that I could believe because even people like us when we are driving patiently get shocked all of a sudden when we hear pressure horns blaring from behind out of nowhere on an otherwise silent road.

So footpath riding has been prevalent since more than a decade now except that the tribe has now increased beyond imagination that I refuse to call the footpath as one; Rather, it is a 2 wheeler lane!

It is extremely disheartening to see that Two-Wheeler riding on the footpath has now become a norm rather than an exception. While waiting at the signal near Marathahalli (on my bike), in the space of a minute or 90 seconds, I counted 20 two-wheelers come from behind via the gap between the foot path and the vehicles, reach the point where I am (which meant cannot go ahead anymore) then climb on to the footpath next to me and proceed ahead. This is a daily occurrence now.

The sad thing is that, no bias at all. Big bikes, small bikes, IT Guys, ladies, delivery boys-All included. Makes me wonder if some of them even know that it is illegal to ride on the footpath. Most of them do it as if it is the most normal thing to do. :(

Yeah as you have mentioned in the last sentence, it is the norm these days. I get honked at for not going on the footpath if I stop my bike at a point where the footpath height is low. I get honked at for stopping behind zebra crossing as well as stopping at red. I think they believe that riding gives them the benefit to ride on footpath, jump red light, break one way rule etc and there are no dearth of female riders doing the same. After all why should boys/men have all the fun!

Everyday I see educated people driving in one way or on footpaths in BEL road. No amount of policing works as the change has to come from people. Police are not there everyday to catch the violators , couple of times I have stopped my car and asked them to go the right side, very few do it but most end up being rude and arrogant. I am unable to understand why they want to risk their lives and others on road.

Anyone heard about about a nasty super bike crash on HAL road between Logica Signal and HAL museum?

I passed by yesterday. It happened a stone's throw from HAL police station. Apparently the impact of the speed was such that the back half of the bike was on the divider and the front half was across the road on the airport side. I guess the bike was going towards Marathahalli. Didn't see anyone lying on the road or injured. Maybe the injured was whisked away but it was really mind boggling to see the split motorcycle.

Hope this agreement is signed soon and the overbridge/flyover is completed soon. Currently, only the main bridge and the approach ramp on one end is complete.

Hope this becomes a reality soon, with no sense for traffic people occupy all the lanes when the gate is closed and it becomes impossible to cross when the gate is opened.

Quote:

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Reason: On Jayamahal road where he was walking on one of the mornings on the footpath, he suddenly heard a biker honk at him from behind to which he completely got shocked and fell down right there not knowing what had happened and what to do.

On a related note, I try not to honk on any given day; especially on Monday I refrain myself to honk at any cost, but even that is becoming impossible now since there is no other way I can get the attention of two wheelers who will otherwise side swipe my front fenders. Else I don't honk to let me pass.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ambivalent_98

. Apparently the impact of the speed was such that the back half of the bike was on the divider and the front half was across the road on the airport side. I guess the bike was going towards Marathahalli.

What time of the day did this happened, was wondering how he managed to attain such speed to shear the bike?

I walk quite a bit, always stick to the footpath wherever one exists, even though it means getting on & off around multiple hurdles.

I've had quite a few idiots sneak up behind me and honk. Got startled a few times, and an elderly beggar walking ahead of me once lost his balance and collapsed due to the loud horn startling him badly. The biker chap had the temerity to ask me to move aside and respond with 'he's just a beggar!' when I glared at him. Took all my patience to not knock his head off, though I told him I would if he didn't get off the footpath that instant.